Draft of MINT00605 (Mint 19/2/306)

<431r>

Parker.

May it please your Lordship

In obedience to your Lordships Order of Reference upon the Petitions of John Perry & others for making either blanks or plates of fine copper for coining of half pence & farthings We are humbly of opinion that when ever a new coinage of such money shall be thought fit,2 the same be made of such fine copper as will hammer when red hot, & is worth about 11$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ or 12d per pound weight Averdupois unwrought & 3 more when wrought into plates. There is no assay of finer copper to be depended upon.

1 That the whole coinage be done in the Mint it being unsafe to have coining tools & coinage abroad.

3 That it be done of coper either hammered into plates at the Copper mills or cast into barrs in the Mint. In The last way the money will look as well as in the first without any sensible difference, & in the first it will be 2d in the pound dearer then in the last. But in the last way there must be two or three ounces of Tinn added to an cwt weight of copper to make the metal runn close in the casting, whereas in the first way the money will be of clean copper. In the latter way a pound weight may be cut into 19 pence in the former into 21 pence.

That at present there is no considerable want of copper money. In some places there is too much. In London it is not much wanted. But if it be thought fit to set on foot the coinage of copper money by a standing commission after the manner of the coinage of gold & silver, the quantity to be coined from time to time may be left to the discretion of the Lord Treasurer. & About 50 Tunns once in six or seven years may be sufficent.

That the stamp for avoiding frequent trouble to the Queen & Council & to your Lordship in altering it, remain the same, unless it be thought fit some times upon extraordinary occasions to alter it.

That it be edged with such an edging as may be fittest to prevent counterfeiting by casting.

That an Importer be appointed to buy & import the copper by weight & receive back the moneys by weight & tale, & put the same away, & that the Master be carged & discharged by his Note as in the coinage of gold & silver & be allowed a Teller to weigh & tell the money the money to the Importer.